Half Past Midnight
by Badge 825
Summary: More than one Rizzoli is a possible suspect in a murder, and Maura and Jane find themselves closer than ever before. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**HALF PAST MIDNIGHT**

**Disclaimer: Don't sue. All I have is a crappy car and a wonderful girlfriend and you can't have either.**

**Summary: Set during S2. Our favorite crime fighting team faces a murder case that involves family, inflammatory accusations, tension, controversy, and of course romance. Please read and review. I'll continue if everyone likes where it's going. Don't hesitate to let me know exactly what you think. Thanks!**

**Chapter One: Never a Dull Moment**

At half past midnight, Detective Jane Rizzoli stormed into police headquarters and threw her keys against the far wall causing a thump that vibrated through to the locker room on the other side. As she ran her hands threw her tangled hair and moved to retrieve the thrown objects she heard a familiar voice coming around the corner.

Vince Korsak emerged with a sly grin on his face. "Hey Rizzoli, what did your keys ever do to you?"

"Not now Vince, I'm really not in the mood." Jane spat out as she checked the text messages on her phone. "Jesus, what was I thinking when I taught my mom how to text?"

Korsak looked a bit put out as he handed her the keys while grabbing a stale donut from his desk drawer with his free hand. The burly man walked toward the exit scowling, "Well when you are in the mood you know how to reach me."

"Yeah thanks." Jane caught the sarcasm in his voice. "Sorry I snapped at you."

His large expressive eyes softened, "Don't worry about it."

Jane sighed, "Hey, what do you do when your parents go from arguing over what pasta to cook for Sunday dinner, to arguing over the last lousy five-hundred fucking dollars left in the joint savings account? We've gone from being a family to being a fucking statistic and it sucks."

"You're parents marriage is a statistic, not your family. Hopefully, they'll figure it out."

"And if they don't?" Jane blew out another large breath.

"You can't fix 'em Jane."

"I know." Jane ran her fingers through her unruly hair. "Ugh, Goodnight Vince."

"Night Jane."

Jane put her elbows on her desk and rested her face in her hands. As the weight of the day bore down on her, her shoulders slumped and her head suddenly felt too heavy for her hands to support. Jane sniffled and rubbed the heels of her palms into her eyes in an effort to relieve the burn. She sat like that for several minutes until she heard heels clicking on the floor in the lobby.

She quietly rose from her chair and stood in the large glass window overlooking the entrance. A familiar figure, oblivious to her surroundings, reached for the door handle that would allow her to leave the precinct.

Jane smirked, and caught an appreciative glance of the shapely posterior that looked firm enough to deflect a bullet. The detective smugly called to the woman before she could make an exit. "Hot date with a cold body Dr. Isles?"

Dr. Maura Isles jumped at the unexpected voice that broke the silence of the otherwise deserted homicide division.

"Jane, you scared me half to death! What are you still doing here?" The M.E. brushed a stray lock of hair off of her shoulder. "It's almost one AM."

"I could ask you the same thing; when I left here at four, you said you'd be going home by six. I'm here because…..because, I don't know why."

"Jane, are you OK?"

"I had to play referee between my parents and their divorce lawyers. It got pretty ugly, and I went home but couldn't sleep. I started walking and ended up here. I just came here to…to decompress I guess." Jane shrugged.

Maura's expression softened. It wasn't often that her best friend seemed so unsure of herself. "Well, I started a new CME course online." Maura swallowed, "It's about the advanced stages of decomposition. I was so engrossed I lost track of time."

Jane quietly mumbled, "Emphasis on the word gross."

Maura smiled. "I heard that. Jane you look tired, and your pallor tells me you haven't eaten yet. I have some leftovers from the dinner your mom made last night. Come home with me and have something to eat. I haven't had anything since lunch except for a bottle of water."

Jane gave Maura a half smile; the memory of last evening's angel hair in an olive oil, garlic, white wine and caper sauce awoke Jane's appetite, despite not caring about food only a minute earlier. It had been a wonderful night. She, Frankie, Tommy, and Maura laughed and shared amusing stories and played cards. No one gave a thought to the following day's meeting with the lawyers, or the friction it was bound to cause and Maura topped off the meal by making the world's best Tiramisu for dessert.

Once dinner and dessert were over, and the dishes were washed, Jane's mom made espresso in the machine Maura gave her as a housewarming gift. Jane chuckled because it was Maura's house, or more specifically Maura's guesthouse that Angela received the gift for moving into.

Jane suddenly felt warm and comforted by the way Maura had opened her home and not to mention her wallet to her family. She gave her mother five-hundred dollars for that awful painting, and loaned Tommy some money to start his pet sitting business.

Jane found such gestures endearing. She frowned slightly because too many people dismissed the M.E. as odd, or socially awkward. So few people took the time to get to know the kind, warm, doctor with a heart of gold, and Jane found that downright shameful.

Maura's voice brought Jane out of her reverie. "Jane, Jane?" Maura gently placed her hand on her best friend's arm.

"Yeah, oh sorry. That sounds really good. Count me in."

"I'll drive. You can grab a nap in the car."

Jane just nodded, too tired to respond vocally. Once on the road, Maura expertly navigated the streets until she finally pulled up in front of her home. Jane had reclined the passenger seat as far back as it would go, and had fallen asleep almost immediately.

Maura looked over and smiled at the sleeping detective. The doctor blushed as she thought about how Jane's feistiness and protective nature sometimes aroused her. But now, her heart melted because the tall woman looked so vulnerable while sleeping with her hands curled and her lips slightly parted. She reached over to caress the attractive woman's cheek, but gently shook her arm instead.

"Jane, Jane, get up; we're home."

Jane yawned, "Hmmm, whose home? Wha?"

Maura laughed, "My home. Remember?"

"Oh." Jane lifted herself up and returned the seat to its normal position. "Sorry Maur. I forgot where I was for a second."

"Are you still hungry? It is awfully late, or is it terribly early?" Maura bit her lip in contemplation.

The detective yawned and stretched. "Believe it or not, I'm starving." Jane, blinking furiously and getting her second wind, sprang out the car and over to the driver's side where she opened the door for Maura.

Maura's eyes went wide for a second. A minute earlier, Maura was convinced Jane was going to fall straight into bed. Now, she looked as if she had had a full night's sleep.

"Thanks Jane. That's very chivalrous of you."

The lanky woman made a sweeping gesture with her arm. "Come on my lady, we've got leftovers to demolish."

Maura kicked off her heels, and hung her coat and bag in the closet. Jane followed suit and moved about the luxurious home more like an occupant than a visitor. She grabbed two bowls from the cabinet and set the table while Maura heated the food in a large sauté pan.

"Mmmm. This tastes even better now." Jane put a heaping forkful in her mouth and chewed vigorously.

Maura delicately wiped at the corners of her mouth. "Yes it does, and there's some Tiramisu left too."

"Oh yeah," Jane exclaimed excitedly.

Their eyes met and seductively scanned one another's features. Both women were completely aware of the direction their relationship was headed, but neither one made mention of it. They preferred to silently let nature take its course. The constant flirting, telling looks, and subtle touches, were part of the chase, and neither wanted to ruin it by talking about it, nor were they in a hurry to rush the inevitable.

Maura moved to slice into the rich dessert before them when Jane's phone rang almost angrily. The pair suddenly and visibly deflated. That ringtone meant only one thing; they had a body.


	2. Chapter 2

**Half Past Midnight **

**Chapter 2**

Maura moved to slice into the rich dessert before them when Jane's phone rang almost angrily. The pair suddenly and visibly deflated. That ringtone meant only one thing; they had a body.

Jane, still chewing a bit of pasta, picked up the offending phone. "Rizzoli." She looked toward Maura with sad eyes. Jane had wanted nothing more than to spend a quiet evening with her best friend, and now those plans were dashed.

Maura tilted her head in a gesture that could only be described as sympathetic. The M.E. then grasped her phone waiting for the call that would alert her of the situation. When the call didn't come through, she examined the phone to make sure it was working properly. It seemed fine, and she returned it to the tabletop.

"Yep, where did you say he was found?" Jane asked raising her eyebrows in surprise. "I was in the area a few hours ago."

The dispatch officer on the other end of the line then asked with a smile in his voice, "Is Dr. Isles with you?"

Jane squirmed in her chair and blushed a bit. Most of the dispatch officers figured out that whenever they called the pair to notify them of a body, the two women were always together. It provided plenty of gossip for those with too little to do and too much time on their hands.

Jane, with a bit of caution in her voice responded, "Uh yeah."

The man laughed, "OK, bring her along. I'll tell Collins she doesn't have to call her. She's really backed up."

Jane hung up, and said to Maura, "No rest for the weary."

Maura grabbed her keys and they were on their way.

When they arrived on the scene and stepped out of the blue Prius, Maura could see a few of the other responders whispering and nudging one another. She knew they were either speculating about the nature of the relationship, or making "Queen of the Dead" comments. Jane noticed them too, and shot a glance that rendered them all silent. She placed her hand on the small of the doctor's back, guiding her to the apartment that doubled as a murder scene.

Jane nodded to the uniformed officer who stood on the entryway. He looked under the brim of his hat, and answered the silent question, "In the basement Detective Rizzoli, Cavanaugh is on his way as well. "

Jane thought that was odd, and gave the detective a questioning look.

The young uniformed officer picked up on her quizzical expression. "Something about the dead guy attracting the press because of his media profile."

The comment confused Jane more than it helped, but she decided to continue on her way.

With her hand still on Maura's back, Jane helped her friend navigate the creaky stairs. Half way down, Maura's foot landed on an especially weak step. She turned quickly, "Jane this, it's swaying."

"Give me your hand Maura."

Maura placed her hand in Jane's and they descended the remaining stairs with their fingers locked together. Maura smiled and enjoyed the firm grip that reassured her. Jane was her protector in so many ways, and that thrilled her as well as made her feel safe.

The basement was dark and musty smelling. The investigative team brought in additional lighting that gave the subterranean cellar an eerie glow.

Jane stared down at the dead man's face before pulling a flashlight out to see him more clearly. "Holy shit! This is Rick the prick Patterson. This jerk is, I mean was my dad's divorce attorney. He runs all of those stupid, gimmicky commercials."

Jane was now fuming, "You know the ones that go, 'Is your soon to be ex-wife trying to take you for everything you have? Then hire me and we'll right the scales of justice.' I was arguing with this asshole earlier today."

Cavanaugh entered the room as Jane finished her tirade, "Precisely why you detective Rizzoli are off of this case. And you Dr. Isles will not be performing the autopsy."

"What why? I wasn't arguing with him; Jane was."

"And you Dr. are too close to Jane. Your mother works in the department and lives in Maura's guesthouse for Christ's sake. You're both off of the case. I will not have a whiff of impropriety surrounding this investigation. Vines, Korsak, Robbins and Dr. Cooper are on their way here now. Let them take over."

Jane gave him a challenging look. "No disrespect sir….."

The man interrupted, "If you don't want to disrespect me, you'll stop talking. Leave now."

Jane threw him a fiery look over her shoulder, and Maura followed, calling to her friend.

"Jane, Jane simmer down. You're letting your emotions get the better of you."

"Damn right I am." She thrusted her hands into her pockets and turned her back toward Maura.

Maura grabbed Jane's elbow and gently spun the woman around.

"Jane, you need to calm down; in reaction vs. response theory, response always proves far more effective."

The detective tried to maintain her composure, but her temper won out, "Don't you get with this means? They, our so called friends and colleagues, are going to be looking at me, you, my mother, and my father as suspects. I was just told that I can't talk to anyone with the same last name as me until the investigation is over!" Jane voice teetered on cracking.

"Jane, they are going to question us. They're going to do their jobs. We're innocent; we have nothing to worry about."

"Yeah, but ma doesn't need this; she's under so much stress, and my father—he's being a jerk. It's like he's out to hurt her Maur."

Maura, instead of trying to reason with Jane, walked up to the taller woman, and in view of every officer on the scene, hugged Jane pressing their bodies so close together, a streak of light couldn't be seen between them.

Jane, suddenly feeling limp, slipped into the embrace and allowed the comfort it provided to wash over her like a calming wave. The smell of Maura, her body heat, and her embrace always made her feel like every situation, no matter how daunting, would turn out OK.

Maura released a sigh, and absorbed the hug, subconsciously knowing each one from Jane could be her last.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Thanks so much for the reviews and story alerts. Sorry this update has taken so long; we were hit hard by the hurricane. I hope to have another chapter up tomorrow. This story is a challenge, and I hope it's keeping you engaged. **

Jane, suddenly feeling limp, slipped into the embrace and allowed the comfort it provided to wash over her like a calming wave. The smell of Maura, her body heat, and her embrace always made her feel like every situation, no matter how daunting, would turn out OK.

Maura released a sigh, and absorbed the hug, subconsciously knowing each one from Jane could be her last. Ever since the shooting, a slight fear that started in Maura's stomach and clawed its way to her throat would erupt whenever she was physically close to her best friend. Each time it happened, she would swallow it back down, and try to convince herself that the chances of Jane getting hurt again on the job were infinitesimal.

That fear that gripped her insides and twisted them was the same fear that made her want to run from Jane and simultaneously kiss her with absolute abandon. She looked at her best friend, who was now sleeping on her couch, with tenderness and pain for what could have happened. Maura then wiped a stray tear off of her cheek with the back of her hand. She slowly and quietly approached Jane, gently placing a blanket on her before retreating to her bedroom.

Three hours later, the ride back to station was enveloped in silence. Jane's cheek pulsated with anger, and Maura knew that speaking was not an option for the brooding woman. The doctor turned to briefly study Jane's profile, and suddenly she felt a hollowness deep in her chest. She knew Jane felt powerless; she couldn't even be the one to inform her parents that they were being brought in for questioning. Maura patted Jane's knee then quickly returned her hand to steering wheel.

When the friends parted ways at the elevator, Jane looked more fragile than she had in the hospital after the shooting. She raised a pale shaking hand to her hair and ran her fingers through it. She was angry, exhausted, and sleep deprived.

Maura took a step closer to Jane and placed her lips centimeters from the detective's ear.

"Jane, listen to me. It's going to be alright. I know this is hard, but please trust the process. If you interfere, it'll only get harder." She moved slightly to the left and placed a gentle kiss on Jane's cheek.

Jane nodded and walked to her desk where Korsak was waiting for her. At 5:00 am, they were the only two in the bullpen.

He waited for her to sit before he quietly stated, "Jane, We're not supposed to divulge anything about the case to you so I gotta be careful. Last night, after you left, we made an emergency call to elder services. Turns out Patterson's dad was found wandering around his upstairs apartment mumbling something about a gun. The guy's got dementia."

Korsak looked around to make sure they were still alone. "Cooper's preliminary findings show there is an entrance wound in the guy's noggin, but no exit wound. No weapon was found."

"Thanks Vince."

"Me, and Maura's lab tech—we'll keep you in the loop, and I'll personally ensure your parents are treated right. Frankie and Frost aren't allowed anywhere near this case either, so stay away from them, and for God's sake stay out of the investigation, and don't let anyone find out you've got info."

She smiled a little, and squeezed her former partner's hand as she watched him retreat to his new office. After a few minutes, she tapped her foot furiously as she waited for her mother and father to be brought in for questioning. Then, an hour had past, and Jane had practically chewed the inside of her cheek to shreds. When she couldn't stand it any longer, she went to Lt. Cavanaugh's office.

She found him sitting at his desk reading a report. "Sir, I thought you were going to bring my parents in for questioning."

"We are. Korsak and Vines went to pick them up." He looked at the haggard woman and issued an order. "You, until we are done, are going to go home and stay there until you are called back in for questioning. And I'm dead serious when I say limit your contact with your family to ONLY the necessary. You shouldn't even be here. Leave now."

Jane was about to voice her displeasure when Maura's words flashed through her mind. "Fine, I'll go." She had next to no emotion in her voice as she reached in her pocket for her car keys.

She made it home in record time, and fully clothed, flopped on to her bed. Jane tossed and turned as she thought to herself, _"Oh, ma is gonna love this. Wait until she gets her hands on us. She's gonna tear me, pop, and Frankie new ones. In her eyes we're all going to have some blame in this."_ Seconds later the drained woman was asleep.

Maura still at work was relegated to Autopsy Suite Two. It was a smaller set up, with older equipment, and poor lighting, but it still served its purpose. The ME was about to cut into her 48th floater when Joanna, her most competent lab tech, stepped into the room."

"Dr. Isles. I have some information for you. Sergeant Korsak asked me to keep you informed on the Q.T."

"Come into my office." The doctor waved the woman inside.

They walked into the lavish accommodations, and carefully made sure no one else saw them.

The tall, dark haired woman who was slightly overweight and extremely attractive pulled a small notepad from her pocket. "OK. The wound in Mr. Patterson's head was caused by a nail."

"A nail?"

"Yes, most likely fired from a nail gun about three feet from the victim's head. C.O.D was penetration of the brain stem. His breathing and heart stopped within seconds of being shot."

"Hmmm, extremely quiet and extremely effective; a weapon of opportunity, you see that a lot in crimes of passion. I doubt someone planned to kill him with a nail gun."

"That's not all. There's a three inch long indentation in his head that was made by a 90 degree angle. There were splinters of low quality pine in the victim's scalp that matched the samples taken from….."

Maura interrupted, "Those rickety stairs leading down to the basement?"

"Yes. He was most likely going up the stairs when his attacker surprised him, pushed him down them, and shot him while he lay on the basement floor."

"Thank you, Joanna. You'd make a good detective. Be careful leaving."

"You're welcome Dr. Isles." The woman smiled before quietly leaving down a corridor that was rarely used.

Maura immediately called Jane. The sleepy officer answered hoarsely.

"Yeah Maur."

"Jane….were you sleeping?"

"Yep, got sent home until some of the shit dies down."

"Well, if Vince is having Joanna keep me abreast of the case on the lowdown..."

"That's down low," Jane interjected.

"Whatever. I bet he's informing you as well."

"He is."

"You promised not to get involved."

"And I haven't…..yet…..and I won't….unless the process you asked me to trust in goes terribly wrong."

"Uh…Jane, you are exasperating at times."

"Love you too. Now what have you got?"

"C.O.D. is a nail gun shot to the temporal lobe that traveled toward the occipital lobe and virtually destroyed the brain stem."

"Huh…They found Patterson's father in an apartment upstairs. He was talking about a gun. I just didn't think nail gun. The M.O., it's consistent with a crime of passion, maybe a lover, or a pissed off client."

Maura could hear the investigative tone in Jane's voice. "Jane you promised."

"I know, I know trust the process."

"So is the father a potential witness?"

"Even if he saw something; how much help could he be? He's got dementia." Jane sighed audibly. "See you after work Maur?"

"Yes, I'll come to your place so there is no chance of you running into your mother before she's cleared."

"Thanks."

Little did they know that the process they vowed to trust in was about to be blown straight to Hell.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Wow, this story as been difficult to write. It's been hard to hold the plot together, but I will do my best. Enjoy.**

"Even if he saw something, how much help can he be? He's got dementia." Jane sighed audibly. "See you after work Maur?"

"Yes, I'll come to your place so there is no chance of you running into your mother before she's cleared."

"Thanks."

Little did they know that the process they vowed to trust in was about to be blown straight to Hell.

Maura knocked on Jane's door, but there was no answer. She called, "Jane, Jane it's Maura," still no answer. Maura felt her heart race and her breathing quicken. She fumbled in her purse for her keys, and her hand is shaking as she misses the keyhole. Just as she is about to unlock the door, it swings open and Jane is standing on the other side.

Maura jumped slightly, "Jane, why didn't you answer?"

The taller woman cleared her throat and ran her fingers through her hair, "Sorry Maur. I'm exhausted. I'm sleeping weird hours, eating weird hours, eating more weird shit than usual."

Jane stepped aside to allow Maura entrance. "What time is it anyway?"

"It's almost 4:15."

"Crap. They were going to bring ma and pop in at 3:00 for questioning. Did you see them? Do you have any news? Is my mother pissed?"

"Jane, Jane calm down. Everything is OK. I saw them." Maura placed her hands on Jane's biceps, trying to get Jane to focus.

"And?" Jane asked with a slight squeak to her voice.

"Of course I wasn't allowed to speak with them, but from what I could tell, Detective Vines was noting but professional. Your father looked stoic, your mother anxious. They were brought in separately. Frankie was in the bullpen, and he was quite tense."

"Tense, Maura tense? We're cops and our parents are being questioned in a murder. Tense is probably an understatement." Jane wasn't yelling, but her tone made Maura lower her eyes. Whenever this happened, she always felt as if she had disappointed Jane in some way.

Jane saw Maura's distressed look and slumped shoulders, and it made her chest ache a bit. She felt terrible for speaking to her friend like that, and grabbed Maura pulling her close to her chest. Jane rested her chin on Maura's head and snaked her hand around the shorter woman's back.

"I'm sorry Maur. I'm so stressed, but that's no excuse for snapping at you. Forgive me?"

"Yes." Maura snuggled the side of her face against Jane's chest, and released a breath she had been holding for longer than intended.

They stayed like that until Jane's phone began to vibrate. "Rizzoli."

It was Korsak, "Jane, get down here."

"Mom and pop?"

"They've been cleared, so have you. Me and the squad room video put you at the precinct at the T.O.D., you'll still be questioned, but you need to get them outta here before they get charged with something else."

Jane could hear her parents' voices and yelling in the background. "Be right there."

"I'm going with you." Maura grabbed her purse.

Jane smiled at her and the pair made their way back to the police department.

They walked down a long hallway, following the familiar voices that were screaming at one another.

Korsak met the ladies and pulled them aside. "Jane you've got to help us get them out of here. Your mom and dad have been fighting like cats and dogs for a half hour."

"What the Hell? I thought they were being taken in separately?"

"They were, but they were released at the same time, and chaos ensued."

Jane could make out what they were saying and just listened for a minute.

"Angela, that's part of why I left. You never let anything be! You meddle, and sometimes it can be so damn selfish!"

"You wanna talk selfish? I raised our children, I cooked meals, planned parties, ran a household, supported your business with the money my father left me while you brooded and whined in between watching baseball games and drinking beer! And what did you do? You pissed it all out the window Frank!"

"Nag, Nag."

"Jesus, Jane sighed."

Korsak raised his brows, "Well Jane the good news is your mom was at her sister's house when the victim was nail gunned. Traffic cams have her driving to and back. She had only met Patterson that day, and knew next to nothing about him. Your dad was on his way to a fishing trip with one Johnny Romano."

Both Jane and Maura chimed in simultaneously, "The loan shark?"

Korsak nodded. Jane looked down at her shoes. "Maura, I can't. I just can't. This is too much."

The doctor had had about enough of the elder Rizzoli's. They had been bickering ever since she'd met them, and had probably been arguing continuously for the last thirty-five years. The fighting had taken it's toll on Jane. She watched silently as the detective slumped into a chair outside an empty interrogation room.

Maura, confidently, and with a stride that said she was definitely on a mission, entered the room where the voices were emanating from. A young, inexperienced detective was trying to calm them. Maura slapped her purse down on the table, and Frank and Angela both jumped in their seats."

Her mouth was a tight line, "No disrespect Mr. and Mrs. Rizzoli, but I must tell you this has to stop."

Angela was about to interrupt, but Maura raised her hand, "No let me finish. I know you've been arguing for what is probably the entire span of your marriage. And you were talking about being selfish, well I feel you're both selfish. Do you realize what this arguing has done to your children? And you Frank? What were you doing talking to a loan shark?"

"A loan shark!" Angela rasped.

Let me do something I normally don't. I'm going to venture a guess." Maura had fire in her eyes, and they knew not to interrupt her. In fact, they were quite intimidated because they have never seen Maura so infuriated. She gritted her teeth at the pair.

"You were talking to Johnny Romano because you wanted money to restart your business. YOU, because of your pride, chose that over going to a bank. And I'm sure your pride has cost your family deeply. You gave so many breaks to your customers; it ruined your business, and hurt your family. And how did you handle it? You withdrew."

Frank Rizzoli looked down at his feet, feeling foolish for a lifetime's worth of missteps, and Maura's face was red. She was terrified, out of fear for overstepping her boundaries, but she couldn't stand the tension a moment longer. And frankly, she would never ask Angela to leave her guest house, but she was tiring if the countless times she would enter the main house without knocking. She huffed as she turned toward the middle aged woman.

"And Angela, you're a very caring woman, but sometimes you care too much, and you do meddle. And you deflect, rather than deal with a situation; you use ill timed humor, and projects as a distraction, and when you do that, the shit piles up until you're up to your neck in it."

Angela's eyes went wide.

"Now, I don't care if you hate me for this, but someone had to tell you about yourselves, and stop all the pain your causing one another and especially Jane. None of you deserve this."

Maura swallowed the lump forming in her throat. "And Frank, you will have no more dealing with a loan shark, but you WILL take a loan from me at a respectable 3% interest rate, and Angela you WILL finish your professional organizers course."

With a final wave of her hand, she stared all of them down, "And you all need therapy, and I don't care if you get together or individually, or both, but you really need to have a professional sort this out for you, and because it will relieve Jane of so much stress, Ill even pay for it!"

Maura's face was now fully flushed, and her breath ragged. "You need to leave here, and I don't care if you leave together or separately, but you need to leave before you're charged with a domestic incident."

Maura tilted her head and smiled slightly, "And have a good evening".

Maura smoothed the front of her dress down and stormed out of the room, leaving the occupants dumbstruck. Upon exiting, she found Jane still sitting in the same chair where she had left her, her head buried in her hands. Maura gently placed her fingertips on the detective's shoulder. Jane looked up to see her parents headed in the opposite direction.

She perked up as she watched them talking amicably to one another and even laughing.

"Maur, what the hell did you do?"

"Oh nothing, I just changed their perspective slightly."

"Holy shit."

Jane had a spring in her step. Though, an adult, she harbored the childlike hope that her parents would reconcile. She made her way, with Maura, back to the bullpen feeling better than she had in weeks.

Jane sat at her desk and Maura perched herself on the corner smiling down broadly at Jane.

"OK Maura, let's get back to work. Cavanaugh gave me the OK, and we've got a killer to catch."

Jane and Maura began pouring over the case details and the autopsy report. They were there only a few minutes when Detective Joseph Vines approached. He was a good looking man in his early forties, and he was as good a cop as Jane.

"Jane. Dr. Isles."

"Hey Joseph, what's up?"

"Well, our vic had a lot of enemies. Half of his clients lost big in their divorce cases. This guy pissed off a lot of people. But Jane, I wanted to tell you, I'm not happy with the way this investigation is going. This guy was a public defender for a few years back in the 1990s, and some innocent people went to jail because of his shoddy work."

"Great, now our suspect pool doubles."

"Yeah, but they aren't letting us investigate anything from when he was public defender. It was over fifteen years ago, and we're short the manpower, and no one thinks someone will have waited fifteen years to get revenge."

Vines stepped back a bit from the desk, "And we still haven't found the gun. I'm sorry Jane."

"Me too, Thanks Joe."

Jane looked up at Maura who was sill seated on the edge of her desk. "Maura, the system we're supposed to trust, it just backfired on us."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Thanks again for the reviews and your interest. They fuel my imagination, and keep me writing. **

Jane looked up at Maura who was sill seated on the edge of her desk. "Maura, the system we're supposed to trust, it just backfired on us."

"What are we going to do?" Maura asked with genuine concern in her voice.

Jane lowered the tone of her voice, "You have uh, any patients Maura?"

"No, none; I'm all yours."

Jane mumbled, "Don't I wish."

"Hmm?"

"Nothing Maura." Jane refocused, "We're gonna catch whoever did this. You can start going over the files from Patterson's days as a public defender. I'll take the current stuff."

"But, Cavanaugh won't authorize any time for that."

"I'm off the clock, and you're not a cop."

Hours later, Jane's desk was littered with empty coffee cups and bottles of water. "Damn it Maura, we've got nothing No one in the neighborhood knew him. Even the people who shot his stupid ass commercials said he barely spoke. This guy had no friends. He had his practice, and his father."

"Jane, what about Nilda Sanchez? Look it says she was wrongly convicted because of Patterson, and assaulted while in prison."

Jane rubbed her forehead, "I saw that Maur, but Nilda died two years later….suicide."

Maura reached for Jane's wrist. "Jane, why don't we take a break?"

Jane rubbed her eyes. "Just a short one though. I'm going down to the vending machine for a snack. You want anything?"

"No thanks."

"K. Be right back." Jane took the back stairs, her mind struggling to find a lead anywhere. When she finally got to the vending machine, she swallowed hard and rested against the glass. She didn't hear the other woman approach her until she was within two feet.

"Hi Detective Rizzoli.'

Jane jumped at the voice that interrupted her thoughts. "Hi. Your ummm."

"Joanna."

"Sorry, I'm really just stressed right now."

"It's OK. I understand. Mr. Patterson had us working extra hours in the lab too." The woman smiled revealing a perfect set of teeth and a genuine likeability.

"In fact, I have to get home really fast. The home health care worker who stays with my mom leaves at 9:00, and the overtime is expensive."

The woman was quite young, and Jane couldn't imagine why her mother would need an aid. She raised an eyebrow. "Home health care aid?"

The tech suddenly looked very sad. "Yeah, she had a stroke last year. She can't be alone for too long."

Jane gave the woman a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry."

Joanna breathed deeply, "Well hopefully it's only temporary; they expect her to make a full recovery." The woman smiled again, "Goodnight detective."

Jane smiled weakly, "Night Joanna."

Jane watched the woman walk away before feeding her dollar into the machine and making her selection. Jane thought about the lab tech as she mindlessly unwrapped a granola bar. She imagined how hard it must be for her; she knew the young woman's father had died several years earlier.

Jane thought, "_Damn, and to have to pay for an aid on her salary, I thought my family had it hard." _She suddenly dropped her granola bar a raced up the stairs shouting, "Maura! Maura!"

Dr. Isles had fallen asleep with her head resting on her folded arms that lay across Jane's desk. When she heard her name being shouted, she quickly got up from her seat to meet the detective who was practically skidding across the squad room floor.

The sleepy doctor responded, "Jane, what is it?"

"I was talking to Joanna, and I think I have a lead in the case."

"Oh Jane, you are tired. Joanna is a nice girl with absolutely no ties…"

"What, no Maura. She's not a suspect. She told me she has a home health care aid for her mom. Well Patterson's father, he has dementia right?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact he his condition has worsened since they transferred him to the nursing home." Maura quickly drew in a deep breath. "Oh, if Patterson was working, someone must have been taking care of his father while he was away."

'Yes! And we've got to find out who that is. At the least, he or she may have seen something."

Maura beamed, "Excellent Jane! Where do we start?"

We've got to look at everything from Patterson's apartment-checks written to an agency, a magnet, a business card, an emergency contact list-anything that may give us a lead."

"I'm on it."

If was half past midnight, and Jane was ready to give up. There was no indication from the records, or the neighbors that anyone helped with Patterson's father. Apparently, the lawyer was so unlikeable, no one paid him much attention. Jane picked up a stack of printed emails, and was about to toss them aside when one near the middle caught her eye."

"Maur look. It's a Craigslist add for someone to care for an elderly man with mild dementia. Will pay cash, and there's a name and phone number at the bottom. Can you make it out? His handwriting's worse than yours."

Maura slapped Jane's hand. "It says, Carmen Rodriguez, and that's a landline number."

"We can do a reverse lookup." Jane pulled out her laptop and began typing furiously. "OK, got it Maura. She lives within walking distance of the Patterson's apartment. I'm gonna run a background on her."

Maura rolled a nearby chair over and sat next Jane. As Jane conducted the search, Maura leaned her weary head against Jane's shoulder. The detective smiled and enjoyed the closeness as she continued to run the data.

"Look Maura, Carmen Rodriguez, age 24, married with a daughter, she's the only child of one Roberto and Nilda Sanchez!"

"She couldn't have been older than seven when her mother went to jail, and about nine when her mother committed suicide. If she's involved, it's probably taken her this long to track Patterson down."

"Jane, we still don't have a weapon. You and Robbins are the only detectives here. We should wait to question her. Perhaps we'll get a lead on the weapon."

"I think if Carmen were gonna bolt, she would've done it already. The credit card check shows she bought groceries yesterday, and paid the rent today, and spent a 100.00 at Cathy's Curtain's."

"Nice work Jane. Can we get something at the diner before we call it a day?" Maura smiled, and Jane couldn't deny her.

"Sure Maur, let's go." Jane donned her long black trench coat, and waited for Maura to put her jacket on and collect her things.

As soon as they hit the sidewalk Maura Asked, "Can we walk? It's such a nice night."

"Sure, we can."

Jane offered the doctor her arm, and Maura gladly accepted. They crossed the street and were on the sidewalk, a block from the diner, when a Vespa jumped the curb. A teenager talking on his cell while riding was fast approaching. Jane's reflexes kicked in; she grabbed Maura, and pressed her against the brick façade of a building as the rider passed close enough for Jane to feel the handle bar brush her back. As the driver sped away, Jane was about to hurl an insult at him when she saw the look on Maura's face.

Maura was still pressed against the building by Jane's body. A nearby streetlight illuminated her face that had gone pale. Her eyes were wide, and her pulse rapped on the side of her neck. Jane was preventing her from sliding down wall by tightly holding her arms.

"Maura, you OK? That asshole."

Maura still couldn't speak; she simply nodded and placed her hand on Jane's chest just below her collar bone. Jane looked down at her frightened features, and an electric shock went down her spine. She pressed a little closer, and lowered her head until she was kissing Maura. It couldn't have lasted longer than five seconds, but it was enough to leave the women breathless.

When they broke the contact, Jane looked down at her startled friend. "Come on; let's get you a glass of water and something to eat."

An hour later Jane had Maura pressed against the wall again, only this time it was in the doctor's entryway. Jane was kissing her firmly and Maura responded with equal enthusiasm as Jane began to slide the doctor's jacket off.

"Jane, I want this, I want you so much, but can we slow down please? It's been a taxing few days, we're going to have a rough day tomorrow, and if we continue, I wouldn't want to disappoint you."

Jane's chest was heaving, "I don't think you could if you tried, but I understand. Jane placed a final kiss and a nip on the doctor's throat before pulling away.

Jane plopped on the plush couch, still trying to get her breathing under control. She crossed her arm and placed it across her face shielding her eyes from the light. Maura joined her, leaning her head on Jane's shoulder and wrapping an arm around her waist.

"That was some amazing detective work Jane."

"Thanks Maur, and thank you for helping."

Maura's voice filled with pride, "You're welcome Jane."

"Well, we still have to find the weapon, and who knows, maybe Carmen didn't do it."

"But it's a lead Jane." Maura looked at where her arm circled Jane's body. The edge of the darker woman's shirt had ridden up, revealing the scar. Maura rubbed her thumb over it, and Jane could hear Maura quietly choke up.

"What is it, what's the matter Maura?" Jane sat up to look at her friend's face.

"Jane, I would never ask you to stop being a cop. It defines you, just as being a medical examiner defines me. I know the odds of you ever getting seriously hurt again are small, but when I think about that day, and what could have happened. It scares me to death.'

Jane hugged Maura close to her, "I know. It's OK. I did something that I would do again to save those I care about, but like you said, the chances that I would have to are slim. You've got to trust that I'm going to be careful, and trust that we're all going to do our jobs as safely as possible. I know it's hard, and may take a while, but we can work it out. I mean there's always risks, but we can't let them control our lives. If we did, we'd never accomplish anything."

"Jane?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

Jane knew it wasn't possible, but she felt as if her whole body were smiling. She hugged Maura tighter and kissed the top of her head. "I love you too Maur."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**We've finally come to the end of our story. I hope you liked it.**

"Jane?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

Jane knew it wasn't possible, but she felt as if her whole body were smiling. She hugged Maura tighter and kissed the top of her head. "I love you too Maur."

Jane stood up, and extended her hand to Maura. "Come on."

Maura looked up at Jane, but didn't move.

"Come on, it's OK. Let's get some sleep."

Maura placed her hand in Jane's and allowed the detective to hoist her up. They entered Maura's bedroom, and Jane reached into the nightstand to pull out a pair of pajamas she kept there. Maura watched Jane unbutton her dress shirt, slowly revealing an expanse of olive skin.

Maura swallowed hard as Jane continued to remove her clothing. Suddenly, the doctor's mouth went dry. She turned away and faced the bathroom. Jane noticed and smirked.

"Hey Maur, what's the matter?" Jane bit the inside of her cheek.

"Uh, nothing, uh nothing. I'm, I'm going to uh, finish up in the bathroom."

When Maura emerged, she was wearing a pair of black satin pajamas that hugged her curves. She quickly slipped under the covers and waited for Jane. Jane loosened her ponytail and lay down next to Maura. They were inches apart from one another, and Maura stared intensely at Jane's profile. That lasted several minutes before Jane responded to the look.

Jane rolled over to face Maura. Maura's eyes lit up brightly. She reached up and shifted some curls off of Jane's face. "Jane, will you hold me?"

Jane shattered at the sincere, almost timid request. She shifted on to her back and snaked her arm out. Maura lay on top of it, and Jane pulled her close. Maura nestled her head under Jane's chin. They fit together perfectly like connecting puzzle pieces.

"Night Jane."

"Night Maur."

The next morning, Jane and Maura showed up to work as usual, they made plans for after work. Jane, asked Detective Vines to accompany her to Carmen's apartment.

"Detective, I appreciate your asking me to come with you, but Frost is your partner."

"He wasn't cleared to work on this case until yesterday, he knows nothing about it, and he's out today."

"OK. In that case, I'd be happy to go with you."

The two rode to the apartment where Carmen lived with her husband Ray, and her daughter Daisy. They knocked on the door and announced themselves. A pretty woman in her mid-twenties answered the door. A little girl, about five years old was clinging to her.

The woman acknowledged being Carmen, and reluctantly let the detectives in. She knew they were there to talk about Rik Patterson.

"I thought you would show up eventually; it's a bout Mr. Patterson isn't it?"

Joseph immediately took to the little girl, and began helping her assemble a puzzle that was lying on the floor while Jane talked to Carmen.

Initially, the woman was reluctant to make eye contact, but she felt comfortable with Jane, and finally raised her head. Jane immediately noticed what looked like two handprints on the woman's neck.

"Carmen where's your husband?"

"He's in New York for the entire week. He was assigned there to take his physical therapist's licensure exam."

"Jane pointed to the marks on the woman's neck. "What happened?"

Carmen burst into tears, and struggled to talk. "Mr. Patterson had come home from work early. I had left his father alone for just a minute to put some clothes in the washer. He had spilled his lunch all over his last clean shirt and pants. I had the intercom on, and could here everything that was going on in the apartment."

Jane handed Carmen a nearby box of tissues. "Mr. Patterson, he, he was very upset that I left his father alone. He started yelling at me as I was coming back up the basement stairs. He had a bad temper. I tried to explain that I felt it was safe."

"Let me guess, he wouldn't listen to you." Jane rubbed the woman's arm.

"No he wouldn't. He kept yelling at me, and I tried to move past him on the steps, and get out of the basement. That just made him madder. He grabbed me around the neck and started to squeeze. I begged him to stop, but he just squeezed tighter. The step we were on started to sway. Next thing I knew, Mr. Patterson's father was running down the stairs. Rik let go of my neck and reached for his father. I leaned against the wall trying to catch my breath." Carmen reached for a glass of water, and took a long sip.

"I'm sorry Carmen. What happened next?"

"Mr. Patterson's father, he, pushed him down the stairs and then ran down the rest of the way, just staring at his son lying on the floor. I went to help Rik up, and he kicked me in my shin. I fell to the floor, and Mr. Patterson's dad, Doug, grabbed a cordless nail gun, and he shot Rik in the head."

"Rik died in like a minute. I didn't want Doug to get in trouble. He has dementia; he gets confused really easily, and can't remember anything from one minute to the next; he can't go to jail he just can't. He saved my life. So, I walked him back to his apartment, locked him in, and hid the gun. It's in the closet. Please, my husband he has no idea what happened."

Jane kneeled next to the chair Carmen was sitting in. "It's going to be OK. We'll need you to come down to the station. Is there someone who can watch Daisy?"

"Yes, my mother she's next door; please don't call Ray, he has to pass his exam, it's so important to him please."

"Carmen, you know don't you?"

'My mother? Yes, I know Mr. Patterson was her lawyer. I, I took the job anyway. We needed the money; he didn't know who I was, and I wasn't going to tell him. I don't blame him for what happened to her. She had tried to kill herself many times; once while she was pregnant with me."

Detective Vines brought Daisy to her grandmother while Jane brought Carmen to the car.

Later that night at Jane's apartment, Maura said, "Jane that is so sad. They probably will find that Doug Patterson is incompetent to stand trial. He'll be moved to a facility with better one on one care. What's going to happen to Carmen?"

"We're asking that no charges be filed. She's been through enough; she was protecting someone who protected her; saved her life. I don't want that held against her."

Jane was leaning against her kitchen counter drinking a glass of water. Maura approached her, and placed her hands on tall detective's hips. "You know Jane, you come off as so tough, and I understand that's because you have to, but underneath it all, you are one of the most compassionate, loving human beings I have ever met."

Jane placed her hands on Maura's hips and pulled her closer. "And you Dr. Isles are delusional."

They both laughed. "Seriously Maura, you would have felt the same way, acted the same way."

"I know, but it's reassuring to see those qualities reflected in someone you care about deeply."

"I think you just told me you love me."

Maura's voice deepened, "I did. Now I'm going to show you." Maura inched her body up, and kissed Jane on the lips. She loved how firm Jane's kisses were and marveled at how soft the lips providing them felt. The contrast excited her, and she reached her hand behind Jane's head to deepen the kiss.

Jane tasted the lower portion of Maura's lip with a gentle swipe of her tongue. "God Maura, I want you so much." The detective began to unbutton Maura's blouse when the shorter woman stilled the exploring hands."

Her voice was barely above a whisper. "Jane I want to undress you first. I want to run my hands over the muscles in your back; I want my fingers to memorize every line and every curve of your incredible body." Maura began tugging at Jane's belt buckle.

"God Maur, please let's take it to the bedroom. I can't wait any longer. I want to see you and feel you."

Both stumbled their way to Jane's bedroom, leaving a pile of discarded clothing in their wake.


End file.
